Leeds United’s promotion hopes took a significant blow as they suffered their first away defeat since April, losing 1-0 to Millwall at The Den. A first-half goal from Japhet Tanganga was enough to hand Millwall the victory, pushing them up to fifth place in the Championship, just four points behind Leeds. This loss came at a crucial time for Leeds, who were looking to regain momentum in the race for automatic promotion. With Sheffield United securing a win, Leeds needed all three points to keep their automatic promotion spot, but instead, they now find themselves with a precarious lead over Millwall and others chasing them.
The result also left Leeds trailing Sunderland by four points at the top of the table. Sunderland’s hopes of increasing their advantage were dashed as they were held to another goalless draw, this time against Preston North End. It was their second consecutive away draw following a similar result against Queens Park Rangers. The absence of Jobe Bellingham, who was suspended after a red card in the QPR match, led to further changes in Sunderland's lineup, but they were still unable to break their scoring drought.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, the relegation battle continues to heat up. Preston, though still not safe, remains just above the danger zone, alongside Luton Town and Cardiff City. Luton secured a crucial 1-0 win over Cardiff, with Jacob Brown’s goal giving them the edge. In other matches, Coventry City suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Derby County, while Stoke City earned a solid 2-0 win away at Blackburn Rovers.
The weekend’s results have tightened the race for promotion and relegation, with only a few points separating teams in both the top and bottom half of the Championship. As the season continues, Leeds will be hoping to bounce back quickly, while Sunderland and Millwall will be looking to capitalize on Leeds’ slip-up.
